Fading Away
by x-tamer25
Summary: Sometimes having a friend that's not real can be deadly... Keiko's imaginary friend is jealous of Yusuke and decides to take everything to the max...


Just so you know, I do not like OCs (mainly female ones). That's because most of them turn out to be Mary-Sues, and they always have to get paired up with a favorite boy character in the series.  
  
I'm making an OC, but she's posing as only Keiko's 'friend'. And no one is getting paired up with anyone, for one reason is because I know some readers get irritated when their favorite character 'falls in love' with an OC, and another reason is that I'm not that much of a romance writer. ^_^U I just write action/adventure stories and angsty, dramatic type of stuff. BUT I'M NEVER A DULL PERSON!!! Ignore me.  
  
Also, I didn't write this because I liked Keiko, and no, I don't hate her. This goes to show you don't have to like or hate a character to write about them.  
  
FADING AWAY  
  
Chapter 1: Invisible to You  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Keiko breathed in the fresh air and smiled happily. "What a beautiful day!"  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were following her, just sulked as they followed her around because of her request. Keiko looked back at them. "Come on guys, it's not that bad. A walk is what you need if you're going to be stressing out about fighting."  
  
"Stressed? When I'm fighting? That doesn't exactly happen. Not when I fight when I want to at least." Yusuke looked in the other direction.  
  
"Hey you! Keiko is trying to do what's best for you! And if you don't treat her nicely, I'm gonna pummel you to the ground again!" Kuwabara yelled in his ear.  
  
Yusuke rubbed his ears tenderly and glared at him. "Since when have you EVER plowed me to the ground?"  
  
"Guys! Stop fighting, please! It's a day off, and you should take full advantage of it. Ever since that whole Dark Tournament thing ended, you've been so quarrelsome!" Keiko shouted.  
  
"Quarrel- what?" Yusuke looked at her.  
  
"Ugh, why don't you ever listen to our vocabulary in class?"  
  
"That would be because Urameshi's too stupid!" Kuwabara laughed.  
  
"Hey, crawl back to Yukina and stop laughing, you idiot. Or even better, crawl back to your kitten," Yusuke smirked.  
  
"Why you,"  
  
Keiko closed her eyes in frustration, but sighed. 'Boys will be boys.'  
  
"Huh?" Keiko heard footsteps coming her way and looked up to see who it was.  
  
Kurama and Hiei walked up to the group, but with them was a girl. She had long, lavender hair that fell to her mid-thigh. She wore a pale blue dress that went up to her shins with a single dark blue bow on the front and walked bare-foot. Her sad blue eyes seemed almost inhuman.  
  
"Oh, who are you?" Keiko referred to the girl.  
  
Kurama looked confused. "Keiko, don't tell me you don't remember us from just a few days?"  
  
Keiko shook her head. "No, I'm talking about the girl next to Hiei."  
  
Hiei glanced sideways. "There is no one there, foolish human."  
  
The girl looked at Keiko with a questioning look. "See? She's right there." Keiko walked up in front of the girl she could see. "Hello. What's your name?"  
  
"My name is Tamashii. Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Keiko." She smiled as a welcome, and Tamashii smiled slightly back.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at her like she was crazy, and Kurama and Hiei just stared.  
  
Yusuke finally cracked up. "That was a good act Keiko. I have to admit, you're pretty good at pretending someone's there. Are you trying out for the drama club or something?"  
  
"Yusuke, it's not a joke. You're all so rude!" Keiko turned to Kurama and Hiei. "Tamashii is right here. She came with you; didn't you see her?"  
  
Hiei and Kurama exchanged glances. "The last time we have checked, no one was following us." All the four teens could see was just Keiko standing there, pointing to nothing.  
  
"You, you mean... You can't see her?" Keiko looked at Tamashii. She only smiled softly and said, "A spirit is most definitely touchable without eyes."  
  
Keiko thought she meant by touching physically so she grabbed Yusuke's hand and put it on Tamashii's shoulder, but his hand only went through her. Keiko gasped.  
  
The way Yusuke viewed it was that he was waving his hand. "Keiko, what are you doing?"  
  
"But, how's that... Possible? Are you a... Ghost? A spirit?" Tamashii smiled again.  
  
"Kuwabara, I know I'm not seeing illusions. Can you sense her at all?" Keiko looked at the rest. "Anybody?"  
  
They all shook their heads except Hiei. "Hn." (A/N: ^_^ I had to add that in there.)  
  
"Perhaps Koenma can answer this. There must be some reason as to why you are the only one who can see 'Tamashii'; or is it just your imagination?" Kurama inquired.  
  
"No!" Keiko stared at Tamashii for a long time, and Tamashii's smile began to wane. "It is no use, 'Ko. Only you can see me."  
  
''Ko?' Keiko asked herself. "Um... Never mind. I have to go. See you later guys."  
  
She ran in the direction of her house, trying to wash away her headache from the illusion... Was it an illusion?  
  
Kuwabara looked after her running form. "What do you think is up with her?"  
  
"I dunno. But I hope she's okay." Yusuke said.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Keiko ran into her house and quickly slammed the door shut and breathed out slowly. Her mother looked at her. "Oh hello Keiko. I thought you were going to eat lunch with Yusuke. Home so soon?"  
  
"I'm, not feeling very well mother."  
  
Keiko's mother put down the book she was reading. "Are you alright?" She walked over to Keiko and felt her forehead. "You don't feel sick. What's wrong?"  
  
"I guess I just need some rest, that's all. Thanks." Keiko walked upstairs to her room. (A/N: I'm not really sure what her house looks like, so I just randomly gave it stairs! -_-U If anyone knows what her house is like, with or without stairs, please tell me)  
  
She flopped on her bed and thought about what had happened. "Who really is that girl? Somehow she seems really familiar..." Keiko thought aloud. She felt so tired, and suddenly fell into world of dreams.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
(Keiko POV)  
  
A wet water droplet fell on my nose and woke me up. I groaned as I sat up. "Where am I?"  
  
I looked around to see a beautiful field of flowers that spread out all over the grass. Trees and a pond were on the scene. It was like something out a five year-old's dream...  
  
I noticed that it was pretty much barren except there was a swing set in the middle of the meadow. A little girl was swinging on it.  
  
I slowly walked over to her and saw that she had brown hair tied up in two pigtails. She was wearing a pink, childish dress. My eyes widened in realization. That little girl was me!  
  
My younger self didn't even notice me; she just stared at the ground talking to herself.  
  
"Tamashii is late. She's supposed to be here by now..." I heard myself say.  
  
Suddenly, another little girl skipped through the field and smiled broadly at my chibi form. "You've been waiting for me?"  
  
"Yep! Come on, let's play Tama!"  
  
'Tama... Tamashii?' I thought. Then I remembered. Tamashii was my childhood friend, even before Yusuke! Well... Imaginary friend, that is.  
  
I watched as my chibi and Tamashii ran towards the pond and began to skip rocks over the water. I smiled. "I remember those times..."  
  
I stopped my trail of thoughts when I heard a scream. I snapped my attention back to my past.  
  
"Keiko! Help me! I'm drowning!" Tamashii must have slipped to far to the edge and fell in the pond. Tamashii kept sputtering my name over and over, crying for help. "Kei- *cough* 'ko! Help!!! I can't swim!"  
  
My younger self tried her best to pull Tamashii up. "Tama! Hold on!" I watched in fear as Tamashii's grip was loosening.  
  
"NO!" I ran over to them and started to pull Tamashii up along with my younger self. I clasped my hands around my past and tried to pull Tamashii up with all my might. Something was pulling her to the bottom.  
  
I couldn't hold on anymore as something from the water dragged Tamashii under. "Keiko!!!!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"No Tama!" Keiko sat up straight from her bed. Cold beads of sweat slid down her face. She looked across the room only to find the girl she saw earlier sitting cross-legged on the floor, still smiling.  
  
"'Ko! You're awake."  
  
"What are you doing here?" Keiko asked in a dangerously low voice.  
  
"I'm always here. You just don't see me as often anymore." She smiled.  
  
"You're... Tamashii, my, imaginary friend!" She mentally kicked herself for not thinking sooner.  
  
Tamashii nodded. "But call me Tama, please? It reminds me of our childhood."  
  
Keiko looked at her. Indeed, she was the exact replica of the girl she saw in her dream, only older and taller.  
  
Keiko eased and sat down on the floor with her. "So, why didn't I see you before? I thought you fell into the pond..."  
  
Tama wasn't smiling anymore. She looked dead serious. "Maybe no one told you this, but beings created from children imagination are especially real. In a different dimensional plane, though. This man, or godly person called Morpheus can turn dreams into reality. He made me real to only you. When I 'drowned' in the pool, I couldn't actually die, so I was sent back to Morpheus. He gave me a second chance to come back if I was patient enough to wait for a decade. Then when you turned 15, I would return to you."  
  
"Wow," Keiko said in awe. "I can't believe it, you're here again... For real! To me, at least,"  
  
"If you believe, anything can be true."  
  
"Can I- can I hug you? Am I able to?" Keiko said. She felt foolish for saying that in such a crude way.  
  
Tama broke into her smile again and spread out her arms willingly.  
  
Keiko fell into Tama's grasp and hugged her tightly. "I don't believe it... You're really back."  
  
At that moment, the door creaked open, but Keiko didn't notice. Yusuke stood there confused. "Uh Keiko? What are you doing?" He saw Keiko leaning forward and hugging air.  
  
Keiko gasped and turned around. "Yusuke! What are you doing here?"  
  
"I asked your mom if I could check on you." Yusuke shoved his hands in his pocket. "What are you doing?" He asked again.  
  
"Oh! I'm uh- I'm... Exercising!" She started to hastily do pushups.  
  
Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess you need it."  
  
Keiko stopped feigning her warm up and glared at Yusuke. "Excuse me?!"  
  
"Nothing!" Yusuke put his hands behind his back and whistled a random tune.  
  
Tama, even though not visible, glared at Yusuke as well.  
  
Keiko sighed, knowing he was only kidding. "I'm fine, Yusuke. You can go now."  
  
"Okay, but let me know if something's wrong, okay?" Yusuke unexpectedly pecked her quickly on the cheek.  
  
Keiko blushed lightly, making Tama boil. Tama shot daggers through Yusuke with her eyes by staring. But because he couldn't see her, it meant nothing.  
  
She turned to Keiko once he was gone. "How could you like such an obnoxious and rude jerk?"  
  
"Well, he can be that way sometimes. But he has a great heart. That's why he's my boyfr-" Keiko caught herself before she could go any further. "That's why he's my friend."  
  
Tama could see which word Keiko was leaning on. At this she was angry. Keiko was HER friend. Not anyone else's.  
  
"Hey Keiko."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Morpheus said I could have a real body so I can be a human," Tama said, hoping Keiko would like her more if she was human. In truth, Morpheus had never promised Tama that she could become a human.  
  
Keiko sparked with interest. "Really?! That's great! I can introduce you to my other friends!"  
  
"Other friends? With an 'S'?" Tama asked.  
  
"Yeah. I have more than one friend, you know."  
  
Tama inside felt more spitting anger than ever, but kept a happy front. "Great! I'd be happy to meet them."  
  
"Some of them are demons, too, so don't be frightened."  
  
"Demons?! Don't they try to eat you at night when you're sleeping? How could you befriend these vile creatures?!" Tama exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, don't be so silly. Not all demons are bad. Don't worry, I'm not going to get hurt by them. If they do betray me, surely Yusuke would protect me... I hope."  
  
Tama couldn't believe this. Keiko relied so much on Yusuke more than she? "How do you know he's trustworthy?"  
  
"...I just do," Keiko replied, looking dazed. She yawned. "Let's go to bed."  
  
Tama was surprised. "But, it's only 7:00."  
  
"Tomorrow is school. I can't miss it."  
  
Tama stuck out her tongue in disgust. "School? I heard it's a place where these people called teachers brainwash you and you become zombies and geeks. And they give out homework too! Are you sure it's safe?"  
  
Keiko laughed. "Don't be silly, Tama. It's perfectly safe. Now come on, let's go to bed."  
  
The imaginary friend frowned, but lay down on the floor anyway.  
  
Keiko looked at her. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep in my bed and I can sleep on the floor?"  
  
"You'd be uncomfortable. I'm only imaginary, so it doesn't make a difference."  
  
"Well, okay. Tell me if you change your mind." Keiko put herself on the bed and put the covers over her, but changed her mind. She tenderly rested it on Tama's sleeping form. She was surprised Tama could all of a sudden go to sleep.  
  
She returned to her bed and turned the lights off.  
  
Tama opened her eyes while lying on her side. She looked at the blanket. "No one deserves Keiko. Only her closest friend. Me." She whispered.  
  
She fell into a dream on purpose to speak with Morpheus.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A man wearing a black robe turned around to see Tamashii standing before him.  
  
She bowed. "Morpheus, sir. I have a request."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
She hesitated and bit her lip while thinking. "I- I want to become human."  
  
Morpheus was taken aback by her wish, but considered it. Finally, he answered, "You may have your own body-"  
  
Tama looked up, her eyes shining with hope.  
  
"But there is a price."  
  
Her face of hope fell. "What price?"  
  
"Because it is such a large favor, there is a consequence. And you won't become a human but-"  
  
Tama waited expectantly. "I'll do anything."  
  
Morpheus looked her straight in the eye. "You must become a demon."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Koenma: Yo, this is the great Koenma speaking. What happens if Tamashii really does become a demon? And with her jealousy of Keiko's friends there is no telling of what she can do!  
  
Tamashii starts attacking Yusuke and the gang because she thinks no one deserves Keiko but she, and not only that, but Tamashii trashes everyone that treats Keiko badly in her school!  
  
Looks like they're going to be in big trouble in the next chapter of 'Fading Away'; Chapter 2: School's Out!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Good? Bad? In the middle? Please tell me what you think and I'll try my best to improve this story.  
  
Also, Morpheus is the Greek god of dreams, and Tamashii means 'spirit' in Japanese. This probably means nothing to you, but it's good to know. 


End file.
